Terry Ellis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Terry Ellis
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Ellis in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Terry Lynn Ellis |
| Born | September 5, 1963 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels |
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Terry Lynn Ellis (born September 5, 1963) is an American singer. She is famous for being a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue. The group started in 1989.
Contents
About Terry Ellis
Early Life and Education
Terry Ellis was born in Houston, Texas. Her father was a truck driver, and her mother was a housewife. Terry is the youngest of four daughters in her family. She went to college and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M University.
Starting Her Music Career
In 1988, Terry Ellis performed at a concert with singer Kashif. This performance turned into an audition for a new singing group. Producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy were forming a female group. They had already picked Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, and Cindy Herron.
However, after hearing Terry sing, they decided to add her to the group. This made the group a quartet, meaning it had four members. They first called themselves "For You," but later changed their name to En Vogue.
Success with En Vogue
Terry Ellis sang the lead part at the beginning of En Vogue's first song, "Hold On." This song became a huge hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over a million copies, earning a platinum award.
Later that year, En Vogue released their first album, Born to Sing. This album also sold over a million copies. Terry also sang lead on other popular songs from the album, like "Lies" and "Don't Go." Both of these songs were top hits on the R&B charts.
In 1992, En Vogue released their second album, Funky Divas. This album sold more than 3.5 million copies in the United States. Terry shared lead vocals on the hit song "Free Your Mind." This song won two MTV Video Music Awards for "Best R&B Video" and "Best Dance Video."
The group released a shorter album called Runaway Love in 1993.
Solo Music and Continued Group Success
In November 1995, while En Vogue took a break, Terry Ellis released her own solo album called Southern Gal. The album included the songs "Where Ever You Are" and "What Did I Do To You?". It sold over 142,000 copies.
In 1996, En Vogue recorded the song "Don't Let Go (Love)." Terry sang the last part of the longer version of the song. This song was featured in the movie Set It Off. It became the group's biggest hit, reaching number one around the world. It sold over 1.8 million copies and also earned a platinum award.
After this big success, the group started working on their third album. One of the original members, Dawn Robinson, left the group in April 1997. En Vogue then re-recorded their third album, EV3, with Terry singing lead on more songs. This album was released in June 1997 and also went platinum.
Later Years and Group Challenges
In 1999, Terry Ellis toured as a backup singer for Toni Braxton. She also appeared in a music video for Chanté Moore in 1999. In 2000, she released a song called "Call on Me" for the movie Disappearing Acts.
In 2005, Terry Ellis appeared in the Stevie Wonder music video "So What The Fuss" with the other original En Vogue members. Terry continued to record on En Vogue's albums, including Masterpiece Theatre (2000), The Gift of Christmas (2002), and Soul Flower (2004).
In 2012, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron had a legal disagreement with Maxine Jones about the use of the "En Vogue" name. The judge decided that Terry and Cindy had the full rights to the name "En Vogue."
In 2014, Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett signed with Pyramid Records. They released an album called An En Vogue Christmas in November 2014. In 2015, a company called Rufftown Entertainment filed a lawsuit against En Vogue.
Terry Ellis's Voice
Terry Ellis is a soprano singer, which means she can sing very high notes. She has a wide vocal range. Her bandmates often said she had a "ballad" type of voice, meaning she was great at singing slower, emotional songs. In group harmonies, Terry usually sings the alto part, which is a middle vocal range.
Personal Life
In the 1990s, Terry Ellis dated music producer Denzil Foster. Terry is good friends with actress and model Holly Robinson Peete. They met while Terry was recording the theme song for the TV show Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. They look very much alike!
Discography
- Studio albums
- Southern Gal (1995)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Batman Forever | Girl on Corner No. 2 |
See also
In Spanish: Terry Ellis para niños
